Recently, a technology, called CTI (computer telephony integration), for control of telephone features on a personal computer has been developed, and voice mail systems for recording an entire telephone call and storing the same as data have been put to practical use. One form of the voice mail systems is disclosed in Japanese patent unexamined publication No. Hei 08-032618.
FIG. 31 shows a configuration of a conventional telephone voice control system. This system includes an exchange 108 connected to a telephone terminal 113 through a telephone network 112 and a personal computer connected to the exchange 108 via a LAN. The personal computer has connections to a call processing part 104 for monitoring a call connected, a voice data processing part 106 for processing voice data, a voice data storage part 107, including an application program 101 for controlling these parts. The exchange 108 is provided with a circuit switching part 111, a call control interface part 109 and a voice interface part 110. The circuit switching part 111 is connected to the telephone network 112 to carry out circuit switching. The call control interface part 109 transmits call connected information to the call processing part 104. The voice interface part 110 transfers voice data to the voice data processing part 106.
In this system, the application program 101 manages, through the call processing part 104 and the voice data processing part 106, the call connected and the connected state in a voice data path. Suppose that information on the call connected is sent to the call processing part 104 from the call control interface part 109 of the exchange 108. In this case, voice data transferred from the voice interface part 110 is pulled up or fetched through the voice data processing part 106 and stored in the voice storage unit 107.
Since the voice data is transferred via the LAN and recorded in the voice storage unit 107, this system can record reams of data compared to the conventional systems in which voice is recorded on a recording medium placed in the exchange 108.
It is also assumed in this system that when a user of the telephone terminal 113 calls a user of an extension telephone housed in the exchange 108 but the user of the extension telephone is out, another person may answer the telephone for the calling partner. In this case, the call is processed as follows: first, the person who answered the telephone records the entire telephone call or conversation with the caller to register the same in the voice storage unit 107 as voice data. Next, the user who was out then connects the extension telephone or the telephone terminal 113 to the exchange 108 to get and listen to the contents of the telephone call or conversation from the voice storage unit 107.
If plural pieces of voice data are stored in the voice storage unit 107, the user who was out then may use such a method as to listen to the voice data in order of transmission from the voice storage unit 107 to the exchange 108. Alternatively, the user may select and listen to a desired piece or pieces of voice data through pushbutton dialing operations in accordance with voice messages from the exchange 108.
Thus the user concerned (hereinafter called the person in charge) can get and listen to the voice data stored in the voice storage unit 107.
The conventional voice control system, however, makes processing managed by the application program complicated and applies heavy load to the system, which makes it difficult to load the application program.
For example, the application program has to keep monitoring a call for managing the call connected, because the call could be originated at any time. Then the application program has to perform processing suitable for the call as soon as the call is originated. The processing for such an asynchronous event makes the application program complicated, compared to such a case that processing is triggered by pushing a button or making a selection on the screen so that the results will be repeated. The complicated structure makes it difficult to program and load the application program.
Further, in the voice data processing, the application program has to pick up and transfer 64 kbps uncompressed voice data to the voice storage unit 107 constantly as long as the telephone call continues, which prolongs a heavy loaded state of the application program.
Furthermore, the conventional telephone voice control system does not have a mode for providing information addressed to the person in charge without delay in response to a request from the person in charge for providing the voice data stored.
Suppose that a user uses a telephone terminal or extension telephone connected to the telephone network, or a multi-functional terminal connected to a radiotelephone network having data communication and telephone features. Suppose further that the user gets a desired piece of voice data from among plural pieces of voice data stored in the voice storage unit or the like. In this case, the user has to select the desired piece of voice data through pushbutton dialing operations or the like in accordance with voice messages form the exchange, which makes it impossible for the user to get and listen to the desired voice data as soon as the connection is established.
Furthermore, while a telephone call is in progress between a general telephone terminal and an extension telephone terminal, a user of the general telephone terminal cannot listen to the voice stored in the voice storage unit